We are here in Blockley.... :-). It is gorgeous.... been threatening to rain but not quite. Today we hiked sround Chipping Campden one of the ramblers routes....we have a few more planned; the cottage has a whole lot of detailed route info....

Thanks to all who helped me with the planning. Frank, the SIM card worked out perfect; filled it for 5 pounds at WH Smith at Heathrow and it works like a song with a great signal. Judy, I have not used the one you gave me so generously yet.

Kathy, we recognise much from your blogs that I used in my planning... I go for a walk around Blockley in the mornings...we are at the Arreton Cottage across the street from Great Western Arm (will do a review on both when I get back)--we plan to have dinner there today. They closed the post office/general stores here but have a new Village store/cafe across the street and we get fresh bread etc, there...

Cheers

Letha

Letha - so glad you are enjoying your visit to England! Sounds like you are settling into the village.

Enjoy, and post when you can.

Judy

Letha, this is exciting that you're in the Cotswolds and especially in Blockley! We enjoyed our stay there so much. If you like gardens, be sure to visit Hidcote and Kiftsgate near Chipping Campden.

Arreton Cottage looks like a great find, so we definitely want a review when you're home. And more information about your trip!

Kathy

I love the Cotswolds! Have a great time! I have heard it has been a wet spring and summer - maybe the sunny dry weather is on its way. I would love a good cup of English tea right now.

Wow, my Fremont neighbor writing from Cotswold! Do send some trip updates when you can. Enjoy!

Yes, it has been strange weather but we have not let it deter us from much. We had driven through this are same time 4 years ago on our way back from Dorset--and we know it was exactly 4 years ago because the Athens Olympics was going on at that time, and it was hot...so I was packing all my summer clothes back in Fremont and then checked the forecast and saw temperatures in the 50s and barely touching 60s and lots of rain so we immediately added a duffel bag with our warmies and rain wear...it has been overcast with sprinkles and rare bursts of sunshine through the clouds during the day with an occasional rain shower and then heavy rains late evening and nights. We are at the pub in Blockley two night ago and in Moreton-in-Mash last night and local folks were telling us this was bizzare and ruining their summer rugby games. In fact, they seemed more upset than we were and wanting to convince us they had better to offer....

Meanwhile we have been going ahead with our plans with some modifications round the weather. We went to Stratford on Saturday, did a hike out of Chipping Campden on Sunday, went to Oxford yesterday and are headed to the Farmer's Market in Moreton-in-Marsh this morning--we were going to walk across the fields to the market, but our 'host' John has convinced us that it may not be a good idea after the rains... When we did the hike on Sunday it was a tad bit muddy in places, but not at all bad. There are some excellent printouts of the Ramblers walking trails with stile by stile instructions here at the cottage and we picked up the trail map in Chipping Camden, so between the two we did great; at just one point we thought we were lost...and then saw couple coming in the opposite direction who told us that if we were looking for a direct route, our destination was behind us, but since we were doing a circuit we were fine; they also assured us that they live in Chipping Campden and often got lost...

Kathy I was trying to get the map of trails out of Blockley that is posted outside the greens (which says you can buy it at the post office), but now that the post office/store is closed no one seems to know where to get it; the new store does not have it :-)

So all in all it has been 'jolly good' and maybe this weather is better than it being too hot..

Cheers

Letha

The Ordnance Survey Explorer maps (orange) at 1:25,000 will show all the trails for an area. There is one for the Cotswolds that covers the area you are in. The Pathfinder Guides by Jarrold list lots of great Cotswolds hikes. You can find both of these in local shops or book shops.

More about hiking in England.

We were in England one May when it rained so much that we had to buy gaitors to put over our boots and try to keep dry. We still did a lot of hiking.

What are "gaitors?" Like fishing boots?

Letha -
Thanks for checking in! Sounds like you're having a wonderful trip ... stay dry.

They are like a waterproof sleeve for the lower leg and ankle area (usually with a strap under the hiking boot and an elasticated top) to give an added protection (stopping soggy socks etc.,) when walking in nasty rain/mud. We have plenty of both this dreadful summer!

In their previous non waterproof form they were an item of men's clothing which hung on after the fashion generally disappeared, in clerical and ceremonial wear - I remember a very funny comedy programme in the 1960s (70s ??) called 'All Gas and Gaitors', about a bishop and his underlings. The bishop's 'daywear' included gaitors, I think.

Thanks Panda - that is exactly what they are. On our last trip we brought hiking pants (like 1960s ski pants) made from some kind of polyester that we could wash and dry quickly after each hike. Then we could get muddy and did not care. This was Marta's suggestion (she has experience with Seattle rain and mud) and it worked better than gaitors.

We are back and getting caught up; yes I will work on that Trip Report and some reviews; in London we went to the 'Duke of Kent' pub across the park from the B&B where we were staying in Ealing Broadway, so named because the house round the corner, which is now a War Veteran's home used to be one of Queen Victoria's houses where she used to come to as a kid. Thanks again to all for your help. Now that I have my Oyster card and some Pounds left over (oops its falling since we came back :-) we will back later if not sooner.

Judy I did not use your SIM card so I will get it back to you so u or someone else can use it. Frank, yours worked out perfect; you mentioned that it would expire at some stage? If it can still be used, I can get it back to you or pass it on

Welcome Home, Letha.

Letha - did you visit Ilmington? I was expecting a knock at the door....

I expect you saw excited preparations for the big annual Agricultural Show at Moreton in Marsh which takes place the first Saturday in September? Moreton Show

Sadly, right at the last minute they have had to cancel as it has just rained and rained and rained for a week and the mud has beaten them. I can't ever remember this happening before. I just wish the rain would stop. Tomorrow night in our village there is an outside performance of an Opera in aid of charity. They have some cover but I think that too, is going to be a muddy affair and I can't quite see how 100+ cars are going to park in a field without serious risk of never getting out.

Felcity,

We did drive through Ilmington; in fact we did that intentionally on our way back to Blockley from Stratford and I told the family you were there, but it was late and cloudy so we thought we would surprise you another day and then you know how that goes...but I left my heart in Cotswold and I am sure I will be back...

Is it still raining! Actually we from the parched four from sunny (not to mention drought ridden...) California was happy for the cooler/rainy respite; in fact we did not raise an eyebrow about the weather until our landlord/lady kept complaining about it and all the local at the Blockley pub kept lamenting and apologizing to us... I realise it must be a ruined summer around there. Yes we all the preparation for the Moreton show; what a pity... everyone kept telling us they had not had an August like this in years...but for us the only nuisance was drying the clothes...the dryer in the cottage was not up to drying four jeans and we could not hang then out, since we would not be home if it rained...so we did end up lighting the fire and drying them by the fire at night which the kids thought made it all the more rustic and romantic...

Letha
I am shamelessly reading Miss Read after I got back...

Hooray the rain has stopped!!! For today anyway...it was getting serious in some parts although not as bad as in July last year. We are hoping for an Indian summer now! I suppose the upside is that the trees will keep their leaves for longer so maybe the winter will seem shorter. The birds are singing especially loudly today with the brighter weather - they kept very quiet, huddled together silently in the trees, in the rain.

Felicity: I laughed out loud just now, listening to the Today programme on Radio 4. The presenter did a quick news summary and then said "..and the weather: rain."

No regional explanations, no fronts moving across etc., just a fed up/resigned sounding "Rain".

I've given up hope of an Indian summer and started putting the summer (hah!) stuff away. Maybe that will provoke the contrary rain gods into giving it a miss for a change.

quote:

Originally posted by letha:
...but I left my heart in Cotswold and I am sure I will be back...

Well at least come back to the UK, where you will find many much more interesting destinations than the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds are nice but not great, despite the impression you might get on this Board.

I have started another thread here to follow up on Robert's comment about other possible destinations. I'd love to see what other suggestions people have.

Kathy

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